1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collapsible pole for use by snowboarders and/or other outdoor enthusiasts.
2. Description of the Related Art
Poles are part of the skier's standard equipment. Ski poles serve a variety of functions, such as for example assisting in traversing flat or uphill terrain; the skier pushes the poles into the snow to propel him- or herself forward. Skiers also use poles when traveling downhill, for example to establish a pivot point (pole plant) when slaloming or otherwise making a short radius turn.
Snowboarders generally do not carry poles, and do not generally benefit from poles when traveling downhill. However, there are times when snowboarders could benefit from a pole, particularly when traversing flat or uphill terrain. Without a pole, such traversals can be arduous and frustrating, as the snowboarder's sole means of propulsion is to repeatedly shift body weight in an effort to achieve forward momentum. Often, such an attempt is unsuccessful, forcing the snowboarder to sit down, unbuckle his or her equipment so that one foot is free, and kick him- or herself forward with the free foot while trying to keep an interfering twisted front knee from realigning to its natural position. Then, once the traversal is complete, the snowboarder must re-buckle the equipment.
Having a pole would be of great utility to a snowboarder who finds him- or herself in such a position. However, most snowboarders find it too awkward to carry a pole, particularly since they have no use for the pole when traveling downhill. A full-length pole would thereby be a burden more often than it would be of use.
Some snowboarders carry telescoping poles, such as those designed for backcountry skiing, telemarking, or trekking. These poles can be made smaller when they are not in use. However, in general such poles are usually adjustable from approximately 25″ to 60″, and therefore cannot be made small enough to be truly convenient for the snowboarder.
A limitation of telescoping poles is the inability to provide a large number of pole segments. A telescoping pole includes a number of sliding, overlapping cylindrical segments having successively smaller diameters. The pole is collapsed by sliding smaller segments into larger ones, until only the largest segment (plus the handle) is exposed. Because of required wall thicknesses for each cylinder, and because cylinders must fit inside one another, usually only three segments can be accommodated. As a result, such telescoping poles are typically collapsible only to a size equaling the size of the handle plus one-third of the overall pole length. Given a desired overall length of 60″ and a handle length of 5″, the smallest length for a telescoping pole is approximately 25″, which is too large to be convenient for a snowboarder. Attempting to include additional segments causes some of the segments to be either too thick (which adds excessive weight and bulk) or too narrow (which compromises the strength of the pole).
In addition, such telescoping poles are subject to additional disadvantages. They may tend to collapse undesirably and unintentionally when a significant amount of force is applied, for example when using the pole for pushing uphill. Also, they are prone to failure, jamming, icing, and locking up.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,073, to Hoffman, for “Collapsible Snow Pole,” describes an extendable and retractable snow pole for use by snowboarders. Hoffman's snow pole uses a telescoping mechanism which is subject to the problems and limitations set forth above.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,072, to Gregg, for “Snowboard Pole System,” describes a collapsible snow pole for use by snowboarders. Again, the described device uses a telescoping mechanism which is subject to the problems and limitations set forth above.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,435, to Munro et al., for “Collapsible, QuickRelease Snowboarding Pole with Leg Mounting System,” also describes a pole that uses a telescoping mechanism.
What is needed, therefore, is a collapsible pole that is not subject to the inherent problems and disadvantages described above with respect to telescoping poles.
What is further needed is a collapsible pole that provides sufficient strength for use as a snowboarding pole, and that can be collapsed to a small enough size so that it is easily carried by the snowboarder when not in use.